Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Putting It Together

Hopefully I will be able to sleep again soon. (Last night I dreamt about my MagCloud layout...no joke). When I went back and revisited my original idea I finally felt like I created what I intended to create with this project: a view of a world in which no one feels like they're safe from the ever watchful eye of Facebook. I included more people's "statuses," and incorporated more tangible objects with Facebook mantras attached or written on them to create the feeling of being constantly "tracked" in the real world.

In the beginning, I viewed this project as a collage of photos that would be slapped onto a wall and would therefore be read in a continuous manner. The thought of arranging them into a book-like sequence never really occured to me. Arranging images in a book, using juxtapositions and page turns as catalysts for surprise and emotion, can be a better method for telling a story (well duh, it's a book) and creating a mood (in this case, an anxious one). Robert Frank used this method to convey a view of a "hypocritical" America in his book,The Americans. He did this by juxtaposing images of extreme wealth with extreme poverty. He would not have been able to do this if it weren't for the large number of images that he captured. By taking many images he had the option to create a narrative out of his photos rather than just lumping them all together.

His book reads as one photograph for every two pages to create a stark contrast between the page being viewed and the page that follows it. To avoid redundancy, it does not simply show wealthy, poor, wealthy, poor, etc., but layers images of desparity to create an even greater contrast once the page turns to an image of wealth and vise versa. I tried to arrange my book using his "building up" technique instead of just providing contrast between each page. However, due to MagCloud restrictions, I was not able to format the book to be one photograph per two pages, which is a more professional/dramatic option. The book is two photographs per two pages, and the front and cover are included in the set, not as pieces separate from the set. In a year MagCloud will probably have way more variety with their organizing options...

3 comments:

Your juxtaposition of images was really thoughtful and meaningful for me. I think that conceptually, your topic is really strong and that it communicates a poignant message to the viewers (not unlike the spirit of Frank's "The Americans"). Despite that the works will be in photo form, I think your book in particular will communicate a very eloquent message to its viewers.

Your thinking and rethinking the sequencing shows. Your magazine makes a poignant point about how will willingly provide information on our private lives for the public to see and how seductive and absurd it is too. It captures a specific cultural moment.

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I am an artist, writer, and blogger who writes about art, the environment, travel, and the intersection of the three. View my writing samples below or peruse this blog. I can be contacted at rachele.m.krivichi@gmail.com for freelance writing inquires.